You are here

Related Articles:

External Links:

Guin

James P. Kaetz, Auburn University

Guin is located in south-central Marion County in the northwest corner of the state. It has a mayor/council form of government.

History

The land on which Guin was established was first homesteaded in 1820 as a 680-acre U.S. land grant. The land changed hands several times until 1872, when it was purchased by physician Jerry Guin, for whom the town was eventually named. In 1886, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway began construction of a line from Birmingham to Memphis, and Guin, whose farm lay along the route, donated land with the stipulation that the area become a flagstop (that is, the train would stop as needed to pick up passengers, but would not make regularly scheduled stops). The railroad dubbed the stop Guin.

Businesses grew up quickly to serve the railroad and its passengers, and in December 1889 the town incorporated. The population at the time was about 350. The town expanded steadily during the next few decades, with the first county high school being built there in 1912 and the first automobile agency opening in 1913. A public well was replaced by a new water system in the 1930s.

A number of businesses boosted the local economy over the years, including a Coca Cola bottling plant that opened in 1926 and a 3M plant in 1955. In 1974, the town was badly damaged by a tornado that leveled much of the business district and killed 23 people.

Demographics

Guin's population according to the 2010 Census was 2,376. Of that number, 86.9 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 10.9 percent as African American, 1.4 percent as two or more races, 1.3 percent as Hispanic or Latino, and 0.1 percent as Asian. The town's median household income, according to 2010 estimates, was $28,571, and the per capita income was $20,359.

Employment

According to 2010 Census estimates, the work force in Guin was divided among the following industrial categories:

Schools in Guin are part of the Marion County School system; the town has approximately 540 students and 35 teachers in one elementary school and one high school. One private school serves approximately 70 students with seven teachers.

Transportation

U.S. Highway 78 lies just northeast of Guin, running southeast-northwest. U.S. Highway 278/State Highway 118 runs roughly east-west through town. Marion County-Rankin Fite Airport is located 12 miles to the northwest.

Events and Places of Interest

Guin has a city park that features a very popular water slide as well as tennis and basketball courts, playgrounds, and picnic pavilions; a separate field hosts local baseball games.

Guin holds a Mayfest celebration the second weekend of May each year. Events include a car show, a 5K run, a dog show, and a tractor pull, as well as live entertainment and food vendors. The city also has a Fourth of July celebration complete with food, entertainment, and a fireworks show.